August 22, 2019

How to Investigate a Nurse Log with Kids: Think Outside Boxes Nature Box

The kids and I investigate nurse logs, fallen trees that decay and become habitats, often. In fact there is one that we visit on a regular basis since it is just steps away from Georgia’s forest school. Whenever we are a few minutes early, we walk over to see what might be happening that day.

I love watching the surroundings and contents change through the seasons. As we visit in summer, it’s hard to even get to the log because of all the growth happening around it! Nurse logs are a big part of our nature exploration. BUT, our latest (and final) Think Outside Box brought our investigating to whole new level.

The Think Outside Nature box provides kids with tools and information to learn about ecosystems, plants, and all kinds of wildlife while making safe choices. Thanks to detailed instructions (complete with photos) in the activity guide, we not only had a fun outing in nature, but we saw a ton more than we usually would!

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January 20, 2016

Winter Scavenger Hunt (with Printable) for Kids

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
–William Blake

We’re all about embracing what we’ve got, and looking for the beauty in even the darkest and gloomiest times. Winter can get a bad wrap from some, especially once the holidays have passed, but over the few weeks, we’ve been on the look out for it’s unique and lovely characteristics.

In this winter scavenger hunt (with printable), we’ve compiled 12 of our favorite “items” from our search. We hope you might find it useful in adding a little fun and adventure to your routine this winter season! And remember, since the solstice has passed, the days are only getting longer! Hooray!

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March 4, 2015

Treasure Walks and Early Spring in Seattle’s Washington Park Arboretum

What is it with 3 and 1/2 year-olds and treasures? Is this a thing? Maybe its just our little guy, but lately all he can talk about is treasures, from finding treasures to receiving them as a reward. The good news? Anything can be a treasure. So as long as we call it such, anything can have the potential of being special to him. The bad news? Since everything has the potential to be a treasure, we can spend a lot of time waiting around for a lollygagging preschooler investigating every nook and cranny along our way.

Sometimes it all works out though, like during our visit to the arboretum this past weekend. As soon as Bergen was “released” from the jogging stroller to walk on his own, he requested the use of one of the bags we’d brought along for the dog’s (ahem) deposits. I credited him for his smart thinking! He declared that he was going to search for treasures, and then for the next mile or so, he picked up anything that happened to catch his eye. Rocks, sticks, leaves, blades of grass…they all went in the bag.

If you’re looking for a way to focus walks and hikes with your young children, you might just think about bringing a bag along for collecting! It’s easy, doesn’t require a whole lot of pre-planning, and Bergen was more than willing to toss the treasures back when our walk was complete.

While Bergen was focused on finding treasures, I had the chance to admire early spring in the arboretum. Yes, while the east coast is suffering through snow, ice, and bitter cold, we are experiencing abundant sunshine, flowers in bloom, warmer temperatures, and even (it seems to me) more active wildlife.

Have any more tips on holding kids’ interest while walking and hiking? We’d love more ideas!

You can also check out our other tips for hiking with a preschooler.

Come join the conversation! We’d love to have you join us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter! You can also keep up to date with each and every post by subscribing to the blog via email.

January 4, 2015

Wild Tales of…2014 Travel and Adventure Highlights

Happy 2015! We hope your new year is off to a great start. Here in Seattle we enjoyed a quiet celebration with all four of us sleeping soundly when the clock officially struck midnight. Not to worry though: Two of us were up soon after though as someone was in search of another meal.

With a fresh start and a brand-new addition to the family, I’ve found myself reflecting often on the past year because let’s face it: Things will never be the same! Growing from 3 family members to 4 is a big change and babies create a whole new dynamic of family life. Routines, sleep habits, and the way we go about doing life are all shifting, so I’ve actually found it fascinating to look back at 2014’s adventures.

In order to get a complete look at our year, I decided to take it month by month. Some months were busier than others making it hard to choose just one highlight, so here you’ll find our most memorable and significant explorations.

January-Cle Elum, Washington

In search of quick cold weather getaway, we traveled just an hour and a half or so to the small central Washington town of Cle Elum. Instead of mounds of snow, we found sheets of ice creating difficult hiking conditions, but we enjoyed the escape and chance to unplug (no phone service or internet access!) nonetheless.

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November 26, 2014

Easy Backyard Activity: Pine Cone Bird Feeders

Late last week after a busy morning of running around and getting errands and chores accomplished, I realized that we were in need of some creative time. We’d collected pine cones earlier in the week and they were ready and waiting to be a little bit more useful than just a lazy “center piece” decoration.

I’ve loved working through our fall bucket list just as much as our end-of-summer list! It feels so much easier when all your ideas and aspirations are already documented. This way, when the time is right, I can consult the list and know just what to do. Pine Cone Bird Feeders are on our fall list, and even though they are super easy to execute, I’d been putting them off in favor of more active adventures that had us leaving the house.

I read about the simple idea in one of our favorite outdoor activity references, The Kids’ Outdoor Adventure Book, and knew the feeders were something we would be able to not only accomplish successfully, but also enjoy!

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November 12, 2014

Surviving the Dark and Rainy Days: Tips for Getting Outside + Enjoying it!

It doesn’t always seem like the logical choice, but these days we are working hard not to let the rain and lack of daylight stop us from our usual afternoon walks and adventures. After all, the boy needs to get his energy out, the dog’s gotta go, and we all need our exercise. I fully admit that it’s hard, and sometimes a struggle. I’m discouraged when I realize we are quickly kissing the sun goodbye at 4 o’clock in the afternoon. And yes, its sometimes a drag to spend all that time suiting up to protect against the cold and the rain. But the thing is, we can’t be limited to indoor play when its… [Read more…]

“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.” –William Blake

Have any more tips on holding kids’ interest while walking and hiking? We’d love more ideas!

You can also check out our other tips for hiking with a preschooler.

January-Cle Elum, Washington

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“In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”
–William Blake